Volume 6 > Part 1 > Year 1993 > Page 3 > Taccaceae > Tacca

2. Tacca chantrieri Andréwfo-0000567593

Rev. Hort. 73: 541. 1901; Drenth, Blumea 20: 393. 1972; in Fl. Males., Ser. 1, Spermat. 7: 813. 1976. Fig. 2; Plate I: 1.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Herb with cylindrical rhizome. Leaves 3–12 together, elliptic, oblong to lanceolate, 25–60 by 6–18 cm, glabrous; base cuneate, more or less oblique, not attenuate along petiole; apex acuminate to cuspidate; secondary nerves 8–10 pairs. Petiole including sheath 15–30 cm long. Inflorescence 1–2, up to 70 cm long, each 4–6 (—25)-flowered. Involucral bracts 2 pairs, green to dark purple, decussate, sessile; outer pair ovate or lanceolate, ± 6 by 1 cm; inner pair ovate or obovate, varying in size, 7–17 by 4–8 cm. Bracts filiform 6–25, greenish-purple, 10–25 cm long. Pedicel 2–3.5 cm long. Flowers 1–2.5 by 0.6–2 cm, greenish to dark purple. Perianth 6-lobed; 3 outer lobes ovate or triangular, 5–12 by 3–8 mm; 3 inner lobes 4–11 by 4–12 mm. Stamens greenish-yellow. Ovary 2–7 by 3–5 mm. Fruit triangular oblong, 1.5–3 by 1–2 cm, each side with an undulate, longitudinal ridge, perianth persisting. Seeds reniform, 3–4 by 2–2.3 mm, and 1–1.5 mm thick.

Thailand : NORTHERN: Chiang Mai, Lampang, Phrae; NORTH-EASTERN: Phetchabun, Loei; EASTERN: Nakhon Ratchasima; CENTRAL: Saraburi; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chon Buri, Chanthaburi, Trat; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi; PENINSULAR: Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Yala, Narathiwat.

Distribution : S China, India, Bangladesh, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Malay Peninsula (type).

Ecology : In evergreen forests, 50–1,000 m alt. Flowering and fruiting all year round.

Vernacular : Di ngu wa (ดีงูหว้า), niam ruesi (เนียมฤาษี)(Northern); khlum lia (คลุ้มเลีย), wan huala (ว่านหัวฬา), di pla chon (ดีปลาช่อน)(Southeastern); neraphusi thai (เนระพูสีไทย), mangkon dam (มังกรดำ)(Central); kla di kla mu yi (กลาดีกลามูยี), nilaphusi (นิลพูสี), ma thon lak (ม้าถอนหลัก), wan phangphon (ว่านพังพอน)(Peninsular).

Uses: Young leaves and young inflorescences are eaten as cooked vegetable. The bitter rhizomes are used medicinally.